Police retirees have staged a peaceful demonstration to the National Assembly to call on President Bola Tinubu to come to their aid by removing them from the contributory pension scheme.
Leader of the group, Mannir Lawal Zaria said the Nigerian Police retirees under the scheme are “dying in silence”.
He said they have come to the National Assembly to commend and support what the legislature is doing when the 9th National Assembly passed a bill since June this year to exit the Nigeria Police from the contributory pension scheme and the establishment of the Police Pension board.
Unfortunately, up till now, the President has not signed the bill into law. That is why we are here to plead and beg the members of the National Assembly to help us lobby the president because the lawmakers can see the president, but we cannot see him.
The leader of the protesting retired Police officers, Mannir Lawal Zaria said the living condition of their members is deteriorating and they die daily of simple causes.
“If we cast our minds back, about four Inspector General of Police (retired) had ample opportunities to remove the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from the contributory pension scheme, but surprisingly, these IGP bluntly refused to remove us from the dangerous scheme that is killing us.
“We were patient, expecting the president to assent the bill, but we are disappointed by our own IGP, the father of all police, serving or retired, but surprisingly now ,it the IGP who is sabotaging us, trying to betray us by colluding with the Director General of Pension Commission not to remove us from the killer disease. Are we not Nigerians? Is it a crime to serve as Nigeria Police? When we see the action of our present IGP we decided to take our case to the National Assembly, even if it means dying here.
Let them know this is what is going on. The bill has been passed, what business has the IGP to tamper with it. We don’t know if the IG is a lawmaker. Since the interference of the IG, we have not heard anything again.
“Our fear is that if we don’t come and report this conduct of the IGP to the National Assembly, the bill will die.
“If you look at our number here, we are very few because many of us have died already. Those alive are semi-paralysed because of poverty; ordinary malaria, they cannot treat. What type of country is this; where are we heading to?
“The most annoying thing again, the Federal Government approved 2.5% increment of our own money, but surprisingly Pencom refused to pay us by saying they are going to put it in our salary savings account. Is that the right thing? When you are working for somebody, do you turn to be his master? Why did the DG Pencom refused to give us our money, but prefer to put it in our salary savings account? Let the NASS ask this woman. Why is she not ready to pay us our money knowing that everything in the market had increased in price. We cannot eat any good food now. We survive by the mercy of God. DG Pencom refused to pay us 3 increments by the Federal Government, why? Are we not Nigerians?
Malam Zaria said their prayers are:
“To remove us from the contributory pension scheme,
“To pay us three increments by the Federal Government
“To give us our 2.5% increment direct
“To give us our palliatives which the Federal Government gave to cushion the effects of the hardship in the country, which the president is aware of”.
He said no Police retirees received any palliatives even when they are the worst hit as far as monthly take home is concerned, adding “we are not leaving the NASS until these requests are met.
Mr. Mannir said when the bill was awaiting the president’s assent, the blood pressure of his members went down to normal, “immediately we heard the speech by the IGP our BPs went up over 200.
“Those of us you see are here by the mercy of almighty God. We are crying before we die, because if we don’t cry the FG will not know that our members are dying daily. If you retire, you die if hypertension”, he concluded.
By Haruna Salami
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